Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Should I be surprised when a 'big-name' agent displays an unprofessional attitude?

Or should I shrug and say, Oh, well, they are human, too.

When agents post nasty comments, sometimes poking fun at their prospective clients, it smacks of hubris or the god-complex of the famous. Or getting a little too big for their britches, as my grandma would say.

At this stage I should not be surprised, I suppose, to see the snide comments made by some agents on their blogs or in a workshop. We all post things, say things, that we wish to heaven we could take back, and as the proverb says, if you keep your mouth shut, you won't put your foot in it.

Discretion, in all things, I suppose is the better road, because once it is said, you can't unring that bell.

I will not name any particular agent. To do so would be to stir the pot and create more of what I feel is wrong-headed, namely a case of the nasties. And I prefer to assume they were immediately sorry and fervently wish they could take it all back.

One agent comes to mind, however, who seems polite and gentlemanly at all times. He doesn't represent my genre - I forgive this transgression - but to the best of my knowledge is always unfailingly kind in all postings, blogs, and workshops. No names here either, but his name begins with an 'N' and ends with a Bransford.

He seems like a nice guy all around - well, except for the genre preference. *Grin*

These series follow the lives of Harry Dresden, wizard PI and Mercy Thompson, a sometimes mechanic and all-the-time shape shifter. Both of these series have remained true to their beginnings and, unlike some fantasy, do not bog down under subplots that become cumbersome and confusing.

An example of the last is the Wheel of Time series by the late Robert Jordan. What started so promising and fresh became laden with who-cares stuff about minor characters. The descriptions, while colorful, are the sticky-clay that causes my wheels to spin and my fingers to flip to the last page of the books.

The best series leave me in mourning when I turn the last page, wishing for more.